Mali's ruling military junta has officially terminated two key defense cooperation agreements with France, the former colonial power. The decision, announced by the Malian foreign ministry, ends the 2014 defense treaty and a 2013 accord governing the status of French forces in the country.
The move formalizes a rupture that began in 2022 when France withdrew its counter-terrorism forces from Mali following a breakdown in relations with the junta that seized power in coups in 2020 and 2021. The junta has since expelled French troops and pivoted its security partnership towards Russia's Wagner Group.
Analysts describe the termination as the final diplomatic step in Mali's strategic reorientation away from traditional Western allies. The government has framed the decision as an assertion of national sovereignty and a rejection of what it calls "foreign diktats."
The shift has drawn international concern, with some Western nations and regional bodies warning that the growing Russian military presence could further destabilize the Sahel region, which continues to face a severe jihadist insurgency.
